What do you do when it is the Christmas season and you are out of work? Twice now I have faced that question. My first inclination is to forget the holiday. By that I mean act like Christmas is cancelled and skip all the gift giving and holiday traditions.
The first time I was out of work during the Christmas season I did not feel like putting up the artificial Christmas tree. I didn’t want the house decorated. I didn’t want to buy and exchange gifts with anyone. I didn’t even want to bother with the little gifts for the Christmas stockings. I hoped my wife and girls would not bother with making Christmas cookies or chocolates. I was not thinking very clearly or realistically.
The wife and kids persuaded me otherwise. We budgeted a modest amount for gifts, decorations and special foods. We limited gifts and put time and effort into making presents for one another.
You know what? It turned out to be a very nice Christmas celebration after all. We had our health, we had one another and we had family and dear friends. We also had the Lord. He blessed us in unexpected ways and unexpected times through people and circumstances. We had great evenings playing family games. One evening I read The Best Christmas Pageant Ever out loud while the family worked on handmade Christmas gifts.
That Christmas turned out to be a very special for us even though I was out of work. It simplified our lives and cut down on our materialism. We enjoyed the season in several new and delightful ways.
Friday, January 4, 2008
Day 17 Out of work and it is Christmas time
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